Demand For Legal Georgia Sports Betting Seen In GeoComply Data

Sports betting continues to integrate into American culture as we enter the middle of the 2020s, even in states where residents cannot place wagers. Georgia, one of just 11 states where sports betting remains illegal, is the most recent example of this fact. 

GeoComply reported Monday that it had flagged more than 42,000 attempts from over 7,800 player accounts in Georgia to log into legal sportsbooks in other states on Sunday of the NFL’s Week 11 schedule. 

Increase in login attempts

Recent years have produced legislative gridlock, keeping Georgia sports betting on the sidelines. The Georgia Legislature has introduced sports betting bills every year since 2020, but political disagreements have contributed to each stalling in either the House or the Senate.

According to GeoComply data, login attempts and geolocation checks both doubled from Week 11 in 2023. Attempts to log in on individual accounts increased by 129%, and geolocation checks increased by 105%.

The numbers indicate an increasing demand for legal sports betting in Georgia, as well as hinting at the amount of tax revenue the state may be missing out on or losing to neighboring states and black market sportsbooks.

Sports betting revenue in neighboring states

Georgia was one of six states where sports betting legislation failed to pass in 2024, along with Hawaii, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Missouri, which experienced similar congressional gridlock in recent years, earlier this month voted to legalize sports betting through an amendment to its state constitution.

In doing so, it became the 39th US state to legalize sports betting in some form. 

Additionally, North Carolina — where in-person betting was already legal at three locations — legalized online sports betting in 2023, and online sportsbooks went live in the state on March 11, 2024. Since then, North Carolina sportsbooks have accepted more than $4.1 billion in wagers, resulting in $469.8 million in revenue and $76.3 million in state tax revenue.

Georgia’s other northern neighbor, Tennessee, has offered online-only sports wagering since November 2020. It posted similar numbers throughout all of 2024 as what North Carolina produced since March, likely due to a smaller population and less pent-up wagering demand.

The Peach State has a slightly larger population than North Carolina, mostly concentrated in the Atlanta metro area, roughly two hours from Tennessee and North Carolina. If Georgians bet on sports similarly to North Carolinians, the state could be missing out on at least $100 million in annual sports betting tax revenue.

Will the future bring change?

Georgia lawmakers have largely disagreed through the years not only on whether to legalize sports betting but also on how to legalize it. Some legislators believe the state must pass a constitutional amendment, while others favor having the Georgia Lottery regulate the industry.

A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in the state House and Senate, a challenging feat to tackle in the state’s partisan political climate. A lottery-run Georgia sports betting industry requires bipartisan support, which both houses have yet to obtain.

Having the lottery regulate sports betting would result in all tax revenue going to the lottery. In turn, those proceeds would contribute to the education programs that the lottery helps fund each year.

For legal Georgia sports betting to pass in 2025, lawmakers would likely need to agree on a number of key factors, including what legal betting would look like in the state, how many sportsbook licenses to award, how to regulate the activity, and what to do with the tax money.

Even if state lawmakers do come together, a new sports betting industry will likely require new infrastructure. In that case, Georgia sports betting could still have to wait until 2026 to go live.